Railway-tongs.



C. H. LUTHMAN.

RAILWAY TONGS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, IBIS.

Patented June 26, 1917.

IIIIIIIIIIII CHARLES H. LUTHMAN, or HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO CLARENCE C. ZIMMERMAN, E PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-TONGS.

Application filed November 8, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, [CHARLES H. LUTH- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residbe manipulated by twoworkmen, and commonly known as carrying tongs. For the purpose of handling and placing rails, a third construction of tongs has been employed, this latter being adapted to be handled by two workmen, one on each side of the rail.

In an application heretofore filed by me on the first day of April 1915, Serial No. 18,526, I have disclosed and claimed a construction of tie tongs adapted to combine the functions of the pulling or placing tongs and the carrying tongs; the jaws of the tongs being provided with two sets of tieengaging teeth, one set engaging the tie with the handle levers in approximately upright position so as to be grasped by the two hands of a single operative, and the other set engaging the tie with the handle levers inverted and extending in an approximately horizontal position and adapted to be grasped by the handsof two operatives, one on each side of the tie.

The principal object of my present invention is to dispense with the necessity of providing both tie tongs and rail tongsas separate implements, so as to thereby reduce the number of implements required t0v be kept on hand on any section of a railway track, and this object I accomplish through the provision of an auxiliary pair of rail gripping or clamping members on the tie tongs, thus adapting the latter for the handling of both'ties and rails.

In the most. complete and preferred embodiment of my present invention, the tongs are provided with two sets of tie-engaging teeth, one for pulling or placing, and the other for carrying, as above described, and also with a pair of rail grips or clamps,

whereby a single pair of tongs'is adapted Specification of Letters Patent.

ing purposes the members 5 their pivot 6 into the reversed position Patented une 26, 191 '7.

Serial No. 130,133.

to the handling of ties in both of the ways mentioned, and also to the carrying of rails. It should be understood, however, that so far as the rail-carrying feature is concerned, this may be embodied in or applied to other forms and constructions of tie tongs than that specifically above mentioned.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated my invention in its most complete and preferred mechanical form, and referring thereto,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tongs;

Fig. 2 is an 'elevational view showing the tongs in tie-pulling orrplacing position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective elevation showing the tongs in rail-carrying position; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the tongs reversed and in tie-carrying position.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates each of a pair of duplicate or similarly shaped members pivotally connected intermediate their ends by a pivot pin or bolt 6. The handle arms of the levers, formed by pivotally connecting the members together, are straight and are equipped at their outer ends with outwardly turned hand grips 7 by means of which the tongs are operated and carried. The shorter arms or jaws of the levers are outwardly offset relatively to the handle arms, preferably being shaped substantially as shown in FigsQ, 3 and 4, and the lower ends of the aws are provided with opposed inwardly projecting tie-engaging devices or teeth 8 adapted to grasp and hold between them a tie 9. hen the teeth 8 are engaged with a tie, as shown in Fig. 2, the long arms or handles of the tool are sufficiently close together .to enable the hand grips 7 to be readily seized, and the tongs operated, by a single workman; the tongs when thus engaging a tie being used for pulling it out of or pushing it into its final position, and having the function of what is known as pulling or placing tongs.

In order to adapt the tongs for carrying purposes each of the members 5 is equipped intermediate and preferably approximately 6" and the teeth midwayv between the pivot '8 with a tooth or tie-engaging device '11 which projects ina direction opposite to the projection of the teeth 8. When it is desired to employ tongsfor lifting and carryare swung on shown in Fig. 4, so as to bring the teeth 11 into cooperative relation with a tie 9, the

teeth being then adapted to grasp a tie between them when the outerends of the handles are lifted. It will be noted that in this position of the tongs the handles are disposed substantially horizontally and'project a considerable distance beyond the sides of the tie so that the workmen lifting and carrying the tie by means of the handles will have ample room to walk on each side of the tie. Furthermore, the handles in this position are disposed quite low relatively to the tie so that when the worl rmen stand erect the tie will be lifted clear of the ground.

In order to adapt the same tongs for railcarrying purposes each of the members 5 is further equipped with an inwardly projecting rail-grip or clamp 12 secured to the lever closely adjacent to and slightly below the pivot 6. lVhen the handles are swung downwardly to the approximately horizon tal position illustrated in Fig. 8 (but without reversing the tongs as in Fig. the grips 12 are adapted to engage the web of a rail. 13 directly beneath the heador tread portion thereof, whereupon therail may be lifted and carried by workmen on either side thereof in much the same manner as the tie 9 is carried in Fig. 4.

The teeth 11, when used, and the grips 12 may be bolted. or spot-welded to the members 5, or formed integrally therewith, or otherwise rigidly attached thereto. In the construction shown the teeth 8 are integral with the jaws-and extend in the planes of the latter. The teeth 11 and the grips 12 are also disposed in the planes ofthe respective jaws to which they are attached, being secured to the outer sides or faces of the jaws by rivets, 1 1 and 15 respectively, passing through laterally ofi'set shanks of said teeth and grips. This construction leaves the inner or meeting faces of the tonglevers smooth or free from any obstructions,enabling the tongs to be readily opened out to thepositions shown in Figs. '3 and 4;

The, economy effected by my present invention will be readily appreciated when it isrealized that, in the most complete and preferred form of the invention illustrated, a single tool performs three functions which, prior to the invention of the tool: disclosed in my pending application, above referred to, wereperformed by three separate and distinct tools. It will be noted that when the tongs are in either-the railcarrying position.(Fig. 3) or the tiercarrying position (Fig. 4) thehand grips 7- extend sufficiently beyond the teeth 8. to. prevent any danger of injuring or tearingthe clothes of the workmen through accidental contact withsaid teeth. It will be further noted that the rail-engaging grips 12 are pivoted intermediate their ends, the jaw portions of said levers being provided at their lower ends with inwardly extending teeth adapted to grip a tie, and slightly below'tlieir pivot with inwardly extending grips adapted to clamp the web of a rail beneath the head or tread portion of the latter.

2. Railway tongs of the character de scribed, comprising a pair of .tong levers pivoted intermediate their ends and each consisting of a straigl it handle portion on one side of said pivot and a downwardly offset j aw. portion on the other side of said pivot terminating in an inwardly turned tooth, and inwardly extending gripsonsaid jaws located slightly below the pivot, said grips being adapted to clamp thewebof a rail beneath the head thereof with the handles of the tongs spread to approximatelyhorizontal position.

3. Railway tongs of the character described, comprising a pair of tong levers pivoted intermediate their ends and each consisting of a straight handle portion-on one side of said pivott-erminating in an outwardly turned hand grip and an out wardly offset jaw-portion on the other side of said pivot terminating in an, inwardly turned tooth, outwardly extending teeth on saidjaws above said inwardlyturnedteeth, the construction and relation of said parts being. such. that the lower teeth may be engaged with a tie with the handle portions sufliciently close togetherto be manipulated by a single operative, and by inverting the implement and swinging said handle. portions to the other side of the pivot said outwardly extending teeth may be engaged withthe tie with the handle portionsspread to approximately horizontal position, and a pairof inwardly projecting grips on said jaw portions closely adjacent toand slightly below thepivo t,said grips being adapted to clamp the web of a rail beneath the head thereofwith the handle portions spread to approximately horizontal position.

GHARLESH. LUTHMAN.

Gop ie s of this patent, may be obtained for fi v e cents each, by addressing. the qonimiss ioner 0t ratents, vWe.shington, D. Q. 

